I AM - BECAUSE YOU ARE

When we moved into our home we we forced to tackle an overrun mess of tangled vines, bushes, hedges and everything that sprouted up in between. It took hours of hard labor to clean up and even more time laying down fresh dirt, grass seed, fertilizer and constant watering to make a backyard we could stand to look at. One this was done, I wanted nothing to do with our shaded front garden as 1) it was difficult to find appropriate plants and 2) who has time for that nowadays? I tore the whole thing out without a second thought. But there is something I have always wanted, always intended to plant...but I just haven't followed through. A simple, but vibrant, lilac bush! We had one growing up, and I remember it was the only thing, aside from the raspberry bushes, that I cared for at all. I love the way they look, their smell, and the colors as well. Every year at this time there is a street near us that is in full bloom with lilacs. I always remember my intentions, and then quickly

Yes, I know, it's been awhile! And, yes, I know we are supposed to see each other more often, but I will be honest with you... I don't like you! Not you in particular, as I literally just started seeing you today, but your profession… gynecology as a whole… it makes me nauseous and so I am less than enthusiastic about making that annual appointment. When I was younger, I didn’t really care one way or the other, but this all changed when I was struggling to be heard and diagnosed with PCOS. The “professionals” all felt as though they knew my body better than I did, but they were wrong. After already successfully finding my own thyroid issues, I self-diagnosed my PCOS and I insisted on being tested. Finally, after more than a year of my body being invaded, someone (with a medical degree) finally agreed with me! Subsequently, I was poked, prodded and treated like a lab rat for the better part of a decade… and that was all BEFORE I even became pregnant! Another 9 months of humili

I have seen this cake hack going around for a while now, and I finally decided it was time to try! Take your favorite cake mix, skip the added ingredients and pair it with a can of your favorite soda instead. And… voila! It actually works! I chose confetti cake since we were celebrating. I wanted to pair it with an orange soda but only had lemon-lime on hand so I went with it. I added a little bit of lemon and lime extract to bring out the flavors even more and baked as usual. The smell coming from the open oven was heavenly; the cupcakes themselves, light and airy. A little crumbly, due to the hack I assume, but yummy. While the cupcakes cooled I cracked open a can of whipped vanilla icing and added more extract to flavor it as well as a little green food coloring. I wasn’t feeling my piping skills today, and the kitchen was hot so I didn’t want to waste the time only to have it drip so I mom-iced it. Added some little star sprinkles and some gummy butterflies the LO chose yesterday a

I know what you’re thinking right now… two and a half? What’s so special about two and a half? Well, in this house, a lot! To me, anyway… the LO has no idea! Over the long weekend a lot of changes happened around the house, some out of necessity and some out of convenience. After a decade looking at a rusty old shed, we finally invested in a new one. Because it was an “all hands on deck” event, I was force to put the LO down for a nap in her own crib instead of next to me in my bed. And, you know what? She did it! With a little bit of protest, but she did it… 2 days in a row! Also, it is long overdue but we are getting a new sofa today. In order to get the old one out and make room for the delivery, we had to take down our obstacle course of baby gates – at least temporarily. But, once they were down, I didn’t see a need to put them back up. She isn’t a baby anymore; she doesn’t need to be caged up in one small living space! This is her home too and she should be allowed to explore i

I have held on to this quote for quite some time now. I keep coming across it in my drafts. Today, for a couple of reasons, I felt that it was time to share. We are often let down by the most trusted people and loved by the most unexpected ones. Some make us cry for things that we haven't done, while others ignore our faults and just see our smile. Some leave us when we need them the most, while some stay with us even when ask them to leave. The world is a mixture of people. We just need to know which hand to shake and which hand to hold! After all that's life, learning to hold on and learning to let go. ― Chanda Kaushik

The self-doubt, the lack of confidence, the certainty that I was doing everything wrong... watching her as the days go by and she grows up I realize that while I thought i had no idea what I was doing, I was clearly doing so many things right! This tiny human surprises me in every way. She is strong, independent, caring, polite and shows empathy I never would have expected from someone so little. This is my first Mother's Day where I feel like celebrating... because, I made that! And she couldn't be more perfect. Thank you for teaching me so much about myself, about true love, and most importantly... about being a Mom.